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cubedmango · 3 months

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hi it's kr anon again - first off, happy holidays (if you celebrate/d any of them) and happy new year! (with the bonus of 2024 being the year of the dragon after 2023 was the year of the rabbit, just like with build's two leads 🐇🐉❤️)

and aw it's fine, i'm just happy to know you've continued watching the show, regardless of the gap in time, and well, better late than never right dkwjfnks

and ofc i understand getting sucked into other media interests too, i'm glad you seem to be having fun with your pokemon stuff as well so no worries there <3 but yeah "what the fuck is going on???" truly is the build experience once the plot twists and reveals really hit the ground and get going 😭 [1/?]

(rest below)

ah okay that's what i thought the spoiler you saw was about too (which is why i said to watch eps. 13-16 asap bc i knew you'd be in for a treat, if an angsty one), but i'm glad to see it didn't ruin the whole thing for you in the end jgjdfknvs. that was in fact one of the first things i got spoiled for as well getting into build (thanks wikipedia character descriptions), but i also didn't realize until later on that it would get revealed that early, but from what i now know and have seen of the later plot, it makes sense that they wouldn't drag that part out for too long, and in time you'll see for yourself too 👁️👁️ but yeah literallyyy that had got to be top 10 anime betrayals... like just. the apparent bald-faced lying to the rest of the gang, especially to sento and misora, with that whole convo in ep. 13 between him and sento where the latter was already suspicious of isurugi after his call with nabeshima and he asked about stuff like isurugi's supposed part-time job ("kinda hard to tell which is your main gig"... god if you'd only known just how right you were in that moment sento), and they ended up reminiscing the good old days from when sento was first brought to nascita and how he first transformed into build and became a hero bc isurugi asked him to lend them his strength, and then isurugi said he basically considered them a family now and an eavesdropping misora also smiled at the thought... oof. ouch. and it's even more painful when you consider that isurugi had seemingly been cleared of suspicion already in like ep. 4 or 5 after sento found the panel from pandora's box hidden in the basement wall and interrogated him over it, only for the show to turn around and go "sike! it's actually even worse than you thought!" several episodes later 😭😭 [2/?]

and like. it really worsens so many things in hindsight you know? remember when isurugi claimed he arrived barely in time to save sento from the poison stalk hit him with and to bring him home to nascita at the end of ep. 3 and the beginning of ep. 4... lol. gaslight gatekeep girlboss king who lives for lying straight out his ass. ofc that whole convo between isurugi and banjou where the former tried to get the latter to understand sento's mindset (similar to some of the later convos between misora and banjou) and sento being the way he is bc he was trying to be the kind of person he hoped his past self was, but that he was also carrying a kind of loneliness the rest of them couldn't imagine or something like that (the very same scene i remember you shared screenshots of before)... like wow the reason isurugi himself understood sento's issues so well is bc he's the one who put him in that situation in the first place. then there's stalk suggesting to gentoku after that fight they had in the forest that if he were in gentoku's position, he would use 'someone with no ties to the government' (basically implying sento as build) to retrieve pandora's box the way stalk himself had already been using and stringing along sento. and like basically how well stalk was able to manipulate and predict pretty much every single move on sento and co.'s part ("just according to keikaku" moment) bc he was right there watching them at home all along... godddd. like talk about one hell of a mastermind 😞 (on a less related but funny note: i think it was from an earlier episode but i can never forget that time isurugi told sento "you know i don't eat pasta and i'm too scared to use bidets, right?" bc what even could have been the context for the latter... and was that even a genuine fear of his or was he faking that too all along? 😭) [3/?]

and the way one could see the suspenseful build-up in sento's suspicions of isurugi throughout ep. 13, e.g. bc of how stalk could predict the styles of and find ways to counter all his forms except for the latest one, octopuslight, that he developed without isurugi's knowledge, and then how stalk made his escape without putting up more of a fight; how isurugi was conveniently absent from nascita right after that very fight (basically that meme like "have you ever seen isurugi souichi and blood stalk in the same room? no? exactly"); how isurugi's talk about being a family with sento was already being belied by how he was no longer around to welcome sento home anymore unlike the early days, but misora was the one to greet sento in her dad's stead after having been so worried about him willingly walking into a trap earlier, indicating that she was sento's real family (also: academy award to isurugi for the way he acted all surprised seeing pandora's box in the nascita basement honestly 😭). and just the very fact that the gang suspected for a period of time that katsuragi was stalk, only for the truth of both their identities to be way more gut-wrenching... 😔 however, even amidst the pain of the betrayal, it was definitely one of sento's smartest moves so far to already plan ahead re: the fake bottles to trick stalk (and nanba), so good on sento for getting a genuine w this time that wasn't pre-approved by stalk/isurugi 🙏🏼 (also shoutout to those little flags popping out of the fake bottles with a mischievous-looking chibi sento drawn on them hehe)

and ofc the second confrontation between the two in ep. 14 was very well-done (although when i saw that isurugi was calling sento for the first time after the reveal, i felt very "block his number already dude" hdqkajgfs), like the way isurugi purposely asked to meet with sento in the alley where he'd found him like some kind of taunt and how it was raining just like that first day; sento asking if isurugi had always just been pretending with him, banjou, and misora all along and isurugi responding that not everything was a lie bc they'd actually impressed him sometimes and he'd feel bad for tricking them; sento genuinely getting choked up and angry and telling isurugi to stop joking around... then when both of them threw their umbrellas to the side so they could transform, but it was all out-of-focus, and the sound design in that scene so one could only hear the heavy rain and not the usual jingles made it feel like the truly somber, serious moment it was and how afterwards neither moved for a while, with sento in particular seemingly frozen, hesitant to make the first move in attacking isurugi/stalk... man they got me good there 💔😭 [4/?]

and the way sento soon got overwhelmed during the fight and stopped defending himself as he flashed back to all the times he thought isurugi had been helping or looking out for him, and then stalk took advantage of that to beat him up and he then detransformed and fell over 😭 then when sento said "i can't do it... of course i can't do it...! the person who made me who i am... it was you! thanks to you, i was able to keep a hold of my humanity. i believed in you! you saved me! and now... how could i beat you?!" like dude that really is fucked up as hell. bc god did isurugi literally make him as a person, right down to giving him his name - and since 'sento' means 'rabbit tank' like build's base form, it's now recontextualized as isurugi doing the whole 'naming your gun "gun"' thing huh 😭😭😭 but man i'm pretty sure this is one of the first scenes in the show that i genuinely teared up at, bc i could feel how genuine the heartbreak was 💔💔💔 (and ofc credit to the writer, director, actors, etc. for pulling those scenes off so well that even though i already knew they were coming, they still hit me bad watching those episodes the first time 😭) the additional reveal though that isurugi was primarily just trying to get misora to purify more bottles bc she wouldn't have done so otherwise after discovering what faust wanted to do with them (like what she told banjou earlier) and that's why he came up with that elaborate and convoluted scheme that involved sento 'playing' build... can 'fucked up' even begin to describe this shit too? [5/?]

but well said fucked up revelation did lead to sento's very inspirational speech afterwards about how the ideals of justice that he and banjou believed in hadn't been an illusion and so even if isurugi had been manipulating him the entire time, he still needed to protect what was important to him and that's why he had to beat isurugi, so thanks for that ig cobra man? 😭 and ofc there was the unveiling of sento's first major power-up form, rabbittank sparkling, which yes, everyone has had their time affectionately making fun of for basically being pepsiman (though that was definitely on purpose on toei/bandai's part since there was even a joke sorta referencing that in hei gen final that i remember from the first several minutes i've watched of the movie), but in all seriousness, it's cool that it essentially represents sento reclaiming build's power for himself away from stalk's use of it and him 🥹 and hope you'll also enjoy seeing the rest of his (and banjou's and the other riders' too) power-ups, most of them are just as neat and symbolize more significant points in their character development 👀 [6/?]

also dw, the questions you brought up re: the reveals from ep. 15 will be (mostly) explained by the next episode lol. speaking of gentoku, it's kinda funny to see that he and isurugi/stalk are kinda divorced now bc the latter's hooked up (lol) with nanba (old man yaoi... i'm sorry djfkhwcs), but like 1 episode later, they're back to being begrudging allies before isurugi does some shit that pisses off gentoku again lmao. but also agh the stuff with misora and her dad in this episode... like if the sento and isurugi stuff wasn't already a shot to the heart, this one almost shatters the whole thing 😔 the way it started off with misora saying "dad... when he gets back, he's in for a shock" re: the government raiding nascita for the box and then the look of guilt on sento's face, and when she did end up confronting isurugi later on, you could see that even she was suspecting already that he might have been up to something terrible due to his whole disappearing act, but said she was ready to accept the truth of it, and how it appeared like he might actually do as she asked, especially when he did admit he hadn't been honest about the part-time job, but ofc he ended up lying to her again, using the coffee growing thing as a poor excuse :/

then misora acted like she accepted the explanation and she was now all fine and relieved about it, but then it was clear that she continued to sense something was off, even if she couldn't seem to tell exactly what, highlighted by her only starting to cry and falling to her knees as she broke down sobbing after her dad left :( and when she told him, "even though a lot of scary stuff has happened... all i can think of is that time you didn't flinch at all even though you'd just bonked your head on the door, or when you'd tell terrible jokes, or when you'd laugh too loud. the fun stuff is what comes to mind first. that's why i think, no matter what happens now, i will treasure those moments forever. so... thank you." the dramatic fucking irony of it all... a bullet to the head would be less painful at this point build T_T and isurugi didn't even do the bare minimum of like pretending to comfort her by hugging her before he left... give my girl a real hug 2k24!! (or 2k17 might be more appropriate, since that was the year this aired) [7/?]

(also you can really tell isurugi's in evil mode now huh bc he's totally dropped the porkpie hat, glasses, and apron look which had made him look like a goofy and eccentric but still lovable uncle type of person lmao) though overall idk if i would have actually been able to predict both the blood stalk and katsuragi twists if i had gone into the show blind like you, but since i did watch it with that knowledge already, i was able to spot the hints and moments of foreshadowing and damn some of them were pretty obvious with hindsight (e.g. isurugi being absent from nascita shortly after fights with or scenes showing stalk, the close-up on the coffee beans at the end of ep. 12 after sento's call with nabeshima during which the latter revealed stalk's identity, sento being brought to tears by mrs. katsuragi's omelettes for a seemingly inexplicable reason, sento having the same hairstyle as katsuragi but not satou tarou, the fact that sento was a scientist like katsuragi but showed no inclination whatsoever towards music like satou) (also: ngl that shot in ep. 15 where sento in rabbittank sparkling form jumps up then kicks gentoku into the wall and he lands on the ground and slowly stands up with the fire from the explosion blazing behind him was sick as hell... build can really deliver aesthetically too 🙏🏼) [8/?]

kwjekgafs yeah that pantomiming scene between sento and banjou while misora and sawa were freaking out over the date thing in the background was truly some peak build humor in that a-bit-weird-but-it-works kind of way, and i'm also obsessed with the implications of sento and banjou apparently knowing each other well enough by that point that they could already communicate using their own sign language like that 😭 also the concept of dumbass gym bro banjou who is very amenable to bribes of protein >>> plus that romantic sparkles filter when banjou officially 'asked out' misora and then him having to drag her out bc she became woozy from not being mentally prepared... lol (though that makes me wonder if banjou did actually get his protein (plus banana?) in the end... hopefully sento remembered to do so in between eps. 14 and 15 or something kjfeshcds) [9/?]

also some other standout comedic and/or cute moments to me from this batch of episodes: when they tried to lure sento out of the basement with the smell of his favorite food like a cat and it actually worked; banjou putting 2 fingers to his temple to show how seriously he was mulling things over even though sawa only used 1 in reaction to misora saying it would be weird for katsuragi to be stalk and thus be supposedly the mastermind behind his own 'murder'; sawa reacting in embarrassment and covering her ears when sento said that surely a spy like her would know how to get into nanba's facility despite it supposedly being secure; banjou's delivery guy (i think?) disguise for his and sento's scheme to enter nanba's facility; banjou then getting in sento's way after they simultaneously transformed and were about to run in and sento unceremoniously smacking his head to shove him away; "get a move on already!" "these fingers are thick! it's hard to type!" "use your pinky, man! the pinky!" and the fact that banjou's tip actually worked (but tbh, i did like that moment for showing that while sento is normally the genius and banjou the dumbass, sometimes the latter can just use his common sense for things that the former may overlook or overthink); banjou subsequently trying to break down the door when the code sento typed in didn't work, sento covering banjou's face and saying "stop trying to solve every problem with brute force!", and banjou going "hey, i can't see! i can't see!"; "so you opened the vault just to tell us that?"; the fact that they just apparently covered something as valuable as pandora's box in bubble wrap on their way home from the facility (also sento being all like "i'm like dropping hints that i think owner is blood stalk" "i think owner is blood stalk" during his convo with banjou); and sento, banjou, and misora using the cash register money to buy a fancy dinner for themselves (and you could even see they put u-tan at the table with them lol) and isurugi acting all bewildered and exasperated over it also it was a very brief scene immediately overshadowed by isurugi's theft of the box and the bottles but it was cute seeing misora and banjou asleep, with the latter being partly under the kotatsu and hugging u-tan (i think it's the security stuffed animal for the nascita main trio atp), though that does beg the question as to where sento and isurugi normally sleep too (but also like how was isurugi so careless as to not check that sento was actually asleep that night... i mean i guess that was kinda the point that he underestimated sento after having had him fooled for so long, but. still); the fact that isurugi used a karakusa-pattern (i'm suddenly reminded of the faradays from aa lol) bag to hold the box and the bottles as if practically screaming to the world that he was a thief; "why do i have to run while doing the introduction?!"; the fact that even isurugi got exhausted from running and had to stop and sit on the ground while he and sento talked it out but also the audacity he had to even try asking sento to forget what he did; that "no misoras allowed" sign on the fridge door and an annoyed misora deciding to go to sleep right there and then on the counter (even if the context was decidedly angsty); that whole sequence with sento using poor banjou as a guinea pig for his experiments with the bottles for the power-up item while he hid behind a metal shield the entire time even when shit exploded and sent banjou flying backwards or even electrocuted him; "how do you like my-" "invention? your sixth sense, on the other hand, is faulty!"; and whatever the hell banjou was supposed to be disguised as during the karaoke 'date' with misora

and this wasn't exactly meant to be funny but i like that sento explicitly said "from here on... the man i knew as isurugi souichi is dead" bc wow adbks (assigned dead by kiryuu sento); the fact that isurugi doxxed gentoku's identity as the real night rogue to sento and banjou for extra drama even though iirc gentoku didn't even appear in that episode; the ep. 15 recap where banjou asked where they would get money now that isurugi had left nascita and even sento was unable to answer, and then he tried to change the topic but banjou told him not to play dumb; sawa bonking banjou on the head with what looked like a cartoon hammer for being noisy in that secret base they were cooped up in; sento covering the entirety of the lab in equations in trying to finish the sclash driver data and banjou being covered in papers but apparently hating all of the math so much that it made him want to barf; "ain't i great? ain't i awesome? ain't i a genius? yeehee!"; sento and banjou being disguised as a doctor and nurse (?) at the hospital for their attempt to meet with gentoku's dad's guards (banjou's hair here in particular was so... help); that one scene at the hospital as well where sento was in the suit bent over and shaking his ass - when he was trying to retrieve the box i think - that was probably just the suit actor having fun messing around for a bit; gentoku angrily confronting isurugi over him not getting the box back despite their agreement and the latter said there was something really important he'd needed to pick up and then he showed off the coffee beans, and gentoku threw the container away in disgust and isurugi acted all offended + "are you trying to screw me?!" (that sure is. some choice wording, at least translation-wise) "hey, i love this jacket! quit trying to wrinkle it up, please!"; and banjou carrying an unconscious misora piggyback-style after that fight with gentoku 🥺) [10/?]

on a more serious note though, the angsty vibe during misora and banjou's second 'date' was </3, due to banjou already knowing about her dad but being unable to tell her and misora talking about how faust had been making her purify bottles at first but then she was unable to do it after a while due to her horror at learning of faust's true purposes for them, and it was a pretty sobering moment, only to be broken by the return of the 'your fly is open' gag lmao. bit of a whiplash huh and yes banjou in that scene was 🥺❤️ the way he showed up right in time to stop stalk from killing (or at least further hurting) sento, and how he's got sento's back so he readily offers to fight stalk in sento's stead, and the way he says he's now angrier at stalk for lying to sento and misora than for framing him for murder... he really is growing into a better, more selfless person and who is settling more and more into his role as sento's trusted partner augh. and whoa i didn't really think of it that way when i first watched this episode (even though i know i was the one who first brought up the ryusen-narumitsu parallels some time ago) but thank you for opening my eyes to the narumitsu-isms of that scene in particular bc like woof. it does feel similar to phoenix offering to defend edgeworth in court and to go up against mvk on edgeworth's behalf huh (though atp, sento and banjou are more genuine friends already than phoenix and edgeworth were at that point in the series but like. the vibes are still there) [12/?]

and speaking of that! now you're getting to see more and more of the edgeworth-sento comparisons i brought up before huh, plus what i mentioned about sento's identity crisis that could rival edgeworth's (though definitely sento's is a bit more extreme and fantastical in context) 👁️👁️ like in light of the big reveal, one could definitely start drawing parallels between edgeworth & mvk's relationship and sento & isurugi's re: terrible older male mentors who may not have super explicitly acted as fathers but were nonetheless father figures of sorts who took these guys in after the latter experienced a traumatic event, and who greatly molded the guys in their current careers to serve mvk and isurugi's own agendas, but both edgeworth and sento are initially unaware of that and so they just feel grateful to their new father figures until the truth comes out and then they are sent reeling and wondering if anything that they did actually mattered when they were being manipulated for so long and had played right into the older men's hands, and if they could possibly still continue being a prosecutor and a hero of justice, respectively, when those paths had been laid out for them for corrupt purposes 😔 (plus ofc there's mvk and isurugi both already having daughters who'd eventually become younger sister figures to these guys). though tbf to isurugi, he's way better at acting benevolently compared to mvk (which makes sense as the former being a bad guy is meant to be more of a genuine plot twist than the latter, and mvk's whole thing is that even though he's clearly an asshole, as long as phoenix/the player can't actually prove him guilty, he wouldn't be punished for his wrongdoings). also now i'm hoping someone else might be able to see my vision of isurugi as the sexier version of mvk 🙏🏼 djfkwrjsgas

also yep, we're getting more misora screentime but at what cost to my girl's mental health 😔 and sawa too, with her now being in on the truth about isurugi even ahead of poor misora and subsequently helping the guys out with getting info on him and the like... man so much has been happening and piling up huh. and ofc, i can only tell you to wait and see re: what's going on with sawa, but i'm 90-99% sure you'll like how things will play out for her for the most part 👍🏼 though tbh, iirc her appearances over the next few episodes in particular are sadly kinda on-again, off-again, but when she *is* given her moments to shine, she does serve well, so thank god for these few but still delicious crumbs i guess 😔 and yeah like i said before, kasumi definitely still pops up here and there even after ep. 11 (haunting the narrative and all), so at least banjou doesn't actually forget her in spite of what she told him in her letter, and as for him being able to avenge her or not, well stay tuned :-) [12/?]

and i hope you watch ep. 16 soon too bc it has one of the defining ryusen moments ever, while ep. 17 has one of my fave sento & misora rabbit sibling moments T_T and the next few episodes definitely have a lot more great (if mostly angsty) ryusen scenes, but then again, that's basically the whole show at this rate so no real surprise there lol also there's actually a funny cm/kr build tumblr post i wanted to share with you, but it makes a reference (vague but still) to the hei gen final movie which you've said you aren't planning to watch for a while yet and so you might not be able to immediately get it - i'll still link the post though just in case, so read at your own risk ig: tumblr . com/kabutoraiger/635644615155924992/i-want-adachi-and-banjou-to-swap-places-for-like-a [13/?]

and you're welcome :-) i hope my explanations didn't end up being confusing though, so if you want anything clarified, don't be afraid to ask me for it 👍🏼 and well you're right to tread cautiously re: the misogyny but also i hope i didn't permanently scare you off trying any other kr though - like i hope didn't make it sound as if most other kr seasons are super misogynistic 😭 it's more that in a franchise like this, where they have yet to even seriously consider making a woman the actual lead (i'll elaborate more on this in a while), it's (sadly) kinda expected that each season would contain some level of misogyny bc *joker voice* we live in a society and all, but usually it's like a regular amount of misogyny, and there are only a few seasons i'm told are actually that terrible towards women

in fact, there's this one particular veteran writer whom kr/toku fans have a love-hate relationship with that i had in mind for this phenomenon - toshiki inoue, bc i've heard he can write some pretty banger concepts and characters and he does have a good grasp of the core appeal of toku after all these decades even with his known idgaf attitude towards properly integrating toy upgrades into his shows' narratives, and many people just can't help but want to tune into the batshit shenanigans he loves writing that who knows if we should truly be impressed or bewildered by or a bit both, and i've also heard even a lot of his female characters tend to be interesting and memorable on their own. but he just apparently gets caught up too often in his misogynistic tendencies to ultimately do said women justice (especially when he involves them in his classic soap operatic love dodecahedrons - like seriously almost every toku show he's been the head writer for has featured one), and to the point that his brand of homoeroticism is infamous for generally being 'so misogynistic it's gay' (and so it makes perfect sense that he was the head writer for the death note anime bc he and the mangaka tsugumi ohba sure do have major similarities on those fronts lmao). so a lot of the 'woman fails to transform bc she's a woman' stuff is apparently from his seasons (like the aforementioned kiva from before, which i meant to say aired in 2008-2009 and not 2007-2008, my bad), but i've heard a few other non-inoue seasons still pull that shit like in drive, so it's still pretty unfortunate overall :/ and ofc there's gaim, the season directly preceding drive, which was written by gen urobuchi, and while i don't remember if it pulls the 'failing to transform' trope for any of its female characters, by many accounts urobuchi's own reputed misogyny definitely still rears its head here so 😩 [14/?]

as for those that do feature well-written (or at least better than expected/usual) female characters, iirc seasons like kuuga, ooo, and fourze are still worth checking out, with kuuga in particular being considered one of, if not the peak of writing kr women in the heisei era (with some thinking that part of it is bc only the protagonist himself ever gets to be a rider, so the rest of the male and female characters who are all non-riders can be more equally balanced in their writing), which is probably an aspect of what gave it the reputation of being a classic toku masterpiece, but also sad in a way since kuuga was the very first heisei show, meaning none of the succeeding 19 shows were able to surpass its female characters' writing and well. disappointing but also not surprising 😔 in the reiwa era, so far there has definitely been more effort put into making women at least tertiary riders, but again, it doesn't automatically equate to great writing, as i've heard people complain about yua from zero-one's wasted potential (though i think part of it stems from the reduced number of episodes and other covid restrictions the last third of the show faced since it aired in 2019-2020, and thus her storyline got reduced) and people had mixed feelings on how neon from geats' arc was wrapped up. sakura from revice is probably the luckiest of them in some ways, and an aspect of that is definitely that she is the first major female character to have substantial heated drama with another woman, but her arc still suffers a bit because revice as a whole is apparently not very well-written, so sadly we still don't have a superb variety of choices here... [15/?]

and on that note, i recently learned that revice's head writer hanta kinoshita had actually actively pushed to create kr's first ever female protagonist for the show, but toei almost immediately shot him down (part of their reasoning was that they didn't want to rock the boat too much with their audiences given that japan was still slowly 'recovering' from the pandemic at the time in 2021, but still. eh), and that info definitely recontextualizes why sakura was written like that, like to the point that some did feel she was a far more compelling character than the protagonist and her older brother ikki. even if revice overall may not have been fantastic or something, i still have to give some credit to kinoshita for even trying in the first place and for exerting way more effort with his women than like 90% of kr's other writers to date you know? and oh for sure i understand that you want to reserve the movies for after finishing your main series viewing, so go ahead :-) and hope you'll continue to enjoy the twists and developments! build certainly is one wild (if still generally coherent at least) ride, i can say for sure 😳 and that's also understandable, i myself plan on watching the cm anime at some point (but only probably after all the episodes are out and not while it's still airing), and may you have fun watching it too 👍🏼 [16/?]

aw it's always neat to see the media creators we like have their own interests and hobbies which they feel comfortable enough sharing with the rest of us, especially if it's something we like already or something we're about to get hooked by, and ig the cm mangaka is no exception to that :-) and well since you're past ep. 15 already, you'll definitely be meeting the parasocial guy soon, so good luck lol. and i didn't know that she generally kept up with the cm j-drama's actors' filmographies (bc i thought that maybe her watching build was the exception due to it being a popular toku show, like i'm definitely not as familiar with her as you are) but it's cool that she's generally known for being enthusiastically supportive :') actually, i kinda slowed down in my viewing pace again since i sent you my last batch of messages, partly due to family matters, so i'm unfortunately still stuck in the early episode 40's and can't fully judge yet if i agree with the assessment that the plot kinda stumbled here 😔 but one of the latest episodes i watched did have a scene that's now in my top 5 ryusen moments and it's just. gah. shogo muto what do you want from me 😭 also this character development i'm seeing for [redacted] is 🥺... they've truly come so far 🥲 and we're definitely delving more into sento's past now, and i think i like most of how it's been handled so far, so 👍🏼 [17/?]

but yeah it's unfortunate re: what happened, and given the circumstances, the fact that the show still generally stuck the landing is commendable, but regardless. that won't stop one from imagining alternate realities where the staff had been able to actually execute the storylines they'd planned, and how much of the show's flaws would have been genuinely improved by that you know? and that reminds me, since you got to that point already, i'm just gonna reveal that one of the actors who got sick and wasn't able to return to the show was mrs. katsuragi's, so yeah we're sadly not getting a more in-depth exploration of her relationship with her son(s) after eps. 7-8 😔 rest assured that they don't kill her off in-universe though and they still do mention her at times, and while i don't think she was ever really planned to have a major role in the story, it's highly likely that muto did at least want her to meet with sento again, even if just once, so that's kinda bittersweet in hindsight. oh well, what's done's done, but yeah and since i'm still not yet done with the show, i'll just say i'm planning to finally finish hei gen final and then watch be the one in between eps. 45 and 46 since that's when the latter is supposed to take place anyway, and then i'll only watch the stageplay and hei gen forever after the finale. and i wasn't really interested in them before, but it looks like i'll probably be watching most if not all of the webseries and other specials at some point too bc i discovered that a lot of the stuff i saw in gifsets and videos in build's tumblr tags are from those, and in general there's extra content of characters like misora even if it's not really plot-relevant and are sometimes of questionable quality (especially the adult-oriented specials which i've heard can get pretty brutal for seemingly no reason other than the staff having the freedom to put those more 'mature' scenes in 😬) so yeah, i'll take whatever i can get [18/?]

so yeah in light of that, i still can't give you my actual thoughts on the ending, but i am certainly very excited to get to it bc i just know it will emotionally wreck me in the best way based on everything i've heard 😁 and like i've said before, good luck and have fun with the rest of the series! ❤️ and well if you ever decide to actually go through with your ideas for build fanart, i just know you'd be able to cook up some crazy good ones, so looking forward to those in that case 🙏🏼 and ofc feel free to doodle to your heart's content with whatever references you might like to use - though you don't have to share those on here if you want, especially if you'd prefer to post the full/finished drawings later on instead 👍🏼 and hope you did have a great 24th birthday then with your loved ones, and til next time! 😊🎉 [19/19]

hello again, just some more updates from kr anon: i have the viewing pace of a turtle, so i only just finished watching be the one after finishing ep. 45 of the main show (i know i previously said i was planning to finish hei gen final before getting to be the one, but i was too impatient to see the ryusen agenda in the latter so i decided to skip the former for now and just go back to it once i complete the entire show, along with watching the stageplay, hei gen forever, etc.) 😅 but boy did the movie deliver on that agenda (as well as showing how much sento loves his friends and family in general and his continued dedication to heroism against all odds 🥹), and obviously i shouldn't spoil anything but let me just mention that there's a rain scene set to a music box rendition of the show's theme song and it's just... extremely tender and romantic 🥺 like wow muto and kazuya kamihoriuchi (the director) probably ascended to another plane of reality while making this movie man 😭 and the plot may not necessarily be the most solid bc they were probably trying to make sure it wouldn't tie back too much to the main story, but the emotional core is there and that's what really matters <3 (and there was also plenty of gorgeous cinematography/visuals and cool fight scenes, etc., plus an obligatory teaser cameo for the protagonist of the next season zi-o) [1/4]

as for eps. 40-45 and my own thoughts on how they handled the arc there - now i can say that i do agree with those other fans about it feeling weaker compared to a lot of the previous arcs, and there were some moments that came off as pretty sloppily written to me and which even frustrated me ngl. however i still didn't hate it as a whole, and whatever annoyances i felt were not enough to be a dealbreaker for me to stop watching - i just think there were aspects which could have been better handled. and don't let that discourage you either, because there *were* still a lot of stuff from these episodes that i did like/love, especially the found family/friendship + ryusen moments and the goofy scenes involving a certain character and their quirks (and it was technically in an earlier episode that it debuted, but i also liked seeing what i consider sento/build's best and most visually pleasing power-up form in action in this batch of episodes), and ofc you might enjoy it more than i did due to differing perspectives and all, like maybe there were even more positive elements i ended up overlooking that you'll appreciate it did leave me wondering though if some arcs in the show's last third got shuffled around, and just how much did certain parts of the story truly get reworked to accommodate those sick actors' absence, among other possible production issues and factors like the toy upgrade schedule, bc although i do think muto generally did his best to smooth over things to continue making the narrative feel as cohesive as possible, i could still sense some of the gaps so hmm... but again, don't feel too discouraged, as you can pass your own judgment once you get to this part, so don't take me as the end-all, be-all critic of everything in this series 👍🏼 [2/4]

anyway some (non-spoilery ofc, or spoilers only up to the parts i know you've seen) build tumblr posts i think you'd like (sorry most of these are from the same user, but well they're really good and funny): tumblr . com/gojurt/697131236415684608 & tumblr . com/gojurt/706925590203301888/was-reminded-of-the-ryusen-blingee-i-didnt-post & tumblr . com/gojurt/696688485489360896/kamen-rider-build-impression-sento-banjo-we-need & tumblr . com/pleuvoire/654578565791285248 plus some ryusen fanart: tumblr . com/marialagidyne/701322016120242176/drawn-05092022-i-also-had-to-draw-this-out-before & tumblr . com/shadents/165364572298/cant-get-over-each-time-ryuuga-shrieked-because + this post featuring some promotional images for the show: tumblr . com/t-u-i-t-c/727115932819980288/tokuvn-kamen-rider-build-character-book-no0 + some cute bonus merch: tumblr . com/r4bbitdragon/694409740645777408/anyways-for-builds-5th-anni-behold-these-kicks and there's another ryusen fmv i discovered, though it's best watched once you're done with the show + be the one since it contains spoilers for those: tumblr . com/shirleyjakcson/654666138019594240/i-dont-know-about-this-power-of-science-stuff-you [3/4]

also i know you're probably more into the cm anime atm, so no pressure re: continuing your build watch or replying to me rn if you're not yet in the mood - just hope you're loving the anime so far <3 like i said before, i'll probably watch the anime too but only after all the episodes have aired bc i don't have the patience for weekly watching rn so yeah 😔 anyway, by the time i share my next updates, hopefully i'll have actually been done with the whole show and the main extra material and thus i'll be able to do a fuller review (non-spoilery as well ofc in case you're still not done) of build for you, so i'm looking forward to that :-) [4/4]

kr anon i return!!!! a super super late happy holidays and happy new year to u too, i hope ur jan has been going well (unlike mine, i fell sick earlier 😭) and that uve been enjoying the show if uve continued watching those last few eps and the extra content 👀

yeag the cm anime brainrot got to me as expected (it is. So good already ougghh) so i didnt end up watching as many eps of build but i did manage to catch up to ep20 (forgor to take screenshots this time orz) and girl What the Fuck are these Plot Twists its like being slapped across the face every ep whay. is going on .??????? theres a whole another amnesiac kamen rider (which makes me wonder if the 3rd section of the country also has one of their own) AND theres even more bottles AND banjou + sento both got extremely concerning upgrades AND utsumi is alive AND misora has healing??????????????

speaking of the new guy i see what you meant about the parasociality now tho so far im. honestly kinda finding it funny like imagine signing up to fight these other ppl but ur fav idol is on their side so u let them go like kjkjgdf??? but his deal is intriguing so far w him having memory loss too and the other guys basically being one bad punch away from dying too.......... (also idk why but his actors face looks familiar to me tho i dont rlly rember seeing him in any show before........i dont wanna look up anything rn so guess ill find out later jgjfd)

but god. the fambly moments theyre tearing me apart like the sento-misora-banjou cycle of doing all they can for each others sake im Sick? Im Sick????? sento and misora being called each others only family IM SICK???????? banjou wanting to stop the war for sentos sake I AM SO SICK??????????????? what was up with that gay ass ryusen flashback montage at the end of ep20 what do they want from me . why show me that before making them fight AGAIN like i am So worried abt the next ep u dont even know 😭 also def seeing what u mean abt the sento and edgeworth parallels now good LORD the identity crisis is real out here.?? like going from being an amnesiac -> potential murderer -> guy who made the manmade horrors can he catch a break holy shit

also obligatory sawa mention bc i am so obsessed w her shes So cool . literally carrying the team tbh like where would they be without her and her car !!!! rlly excited to see where things are gonna go w her from here on too aaaahhh

seeing ur comments abt the eps from 40 onwards carefully........ honestly im kind of used to medias w suddenly declining quality nearing the end by now so if u hadnt explained what happened w the crew and stuff i still honestly wouldnt have been super surprised but given the circumstances it sounds like they handled the whole thing a lot better than just doing the bare minimum to get the show over and done with (which is the brand of endings ive seen too much of) but yea im still looking forward to getting to those last few eps! still a while for me to go tho i gotta survive the whiplash of these current eps rn 😔

and dw im not put off from trying any of the other kr shows or anything afjdhsjfdhf tbf the misogyny in the writing sounds veeery typical so again nothing im not already used to seeing unfortunately,, just sucks that in such a long running franchise theres still so much pushback from studio higher ups against having women in the lead or getting them properly written but alas . we rlly do live in a society...... maybe in the next kr show after the one thats airing rn (<-has no idea what the one airing rn even is)

anyway!!! if uve finished the show by now then lmk what u thought im super curious abt ur opinion akfjkdjf i am trusting whatever u say u are my senpai in the realm of kr....... i will try to speed up my watching too tho uhhhh tsukutabe s2 is also starting now so ummmmmm . the combo of that and cm might be holding me back for a while im sory-

#also omg ty for the links to the posts ive been way too scared to wade into the tags on here i am trying so hard to stay spoiler free #the shitposts esp helpfkjdkf they have no business being this funny? 😭 and the fanarts too im crying?? they are getting my rbs of honor #the spoilery links have been saved for later......ryusen fmvs i will watch u soon i prommy #my answer

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siflshonen · 2 years

Text

An Entire Post about Eijiro Kirishima and Bakugo Katsuki

EDITED TO FIX TITLE ERROR AND ADD SLIDE.

And by request, the Bakugo presentation is now a series focused on him and the characters with which he has a prominent relationship. I hope you’re ready to read about Kirishima and Japanese masculinity today! Mina makes an appearance, too.

Link to the Bakugo presentation 2.0: Part 1 | Part 2

Link to the Bakugo presentation 1.0: Part 1 | Part 2

Link to the Todoroki presentation

Link to the Deku presentation

By request, the Bakugo presentation is now a series focused on him and the characters with which he has a prominent relationship. (When I say “relationship”, I don’t mean the connotation of romantic relationships, though I have included subsections specifically about the characters as they are portrayed in fandom ships. I alluded to some of them and the tropes that factor into them in the body of the Bakugo presentation, but this post is focused on the particular dynamics between Bakugo and the topical character.) I hope you’re ready to read about Kirishima and Japanese masculinity today! Mina makes an appearance, too.

What you are about to read dives between BNHA analysis, meta analysis, trope breakdowns, watered-down Japanese history as explained by an outsider Westerner (please take it with more than a grain of salt), and common nigh-disconnected fandom portrayals of these characters. When it comes to fandom portrayal, I will be focusing primarily on the western fandom because it is the one I know. You are also going to have to Deal With My Opinion even more blatantly than before. If you take whatever I say about ships personally, that’s on you for reading this even after I’ve warned you about it. On the flip side, if you have something to say on context and history, I am fascinated to know more! If I offend or misinform in the context of history, please let me know! I am smooth brain and trying.

Warnings for mentions of Japanese militarism/nationalism and associated symbols. Also, while this post is generally SFW, it does mention sex. Some of the Wikipedia links are also mildly NSFW, so be careful.

Here we go.

Eijiro Kirishima and Katsuki Bakugo Overview

Kirishima is truly a wonderful guy. Horikoshi created him as a unifying factor of the class, and that is what he does - starting with self-appointed black sheep Bakugo. I already pointed out the similarities between Bakugo’s chosen archetypal presentation and Crimson Riot’s background. I’ll explore that subtopic extensively later on, but just keep in mind that it’s not surprising that Kirishima in particular is first to figure out that Bakugo expresses himself a little, um, differently than other people. The first instance of this is one of the readers’ first obvious (read: very obvious) clues that Bakugo may have more going on under the surface than being an angry bully.

Anyway, the two of them don’t really connect until Kirishima joins forces with Bakugo at the Sports Festival to support him in taking down Deku. Bakugo accepts (or rather: Kirishima won’t let him refuse and Bakugo decided it wasn’t worth it to fight it) and their partnership is born!

But let’s talk about Kirishima for a moment. He is his own character and I love him. He has this cool adventure where he has a rad internship with Fatgum and the best senpai ever and it is just the absolute best part of the Overhaul Arc. Just, like, he gives literal meaning to Diamond is Unbreakable. Total baller. Every moment Kirishima appears during that arc is a delight. – PARTICULARLY since the Overhaul Arc doesn’t feature Bakugo at all and is coincidentally the slowest part of the whole manga, so every bright spot in it is a welcome relief. SIKE! Sorry, but this post isn’t just about Kirishima. Yes, I’m biased. But look me in the eyes and say the Overhaul Arc didn’t drag. See? You can’t.

Kirishima-Bakugo Parallels

Kirishima is a guy with a hardening quirk. It’s not flashy or particularly suited for offense or rescue, but he got into UA by the power of determination and unrelenting effort. What a guy. He’s a little self-conscious about how “worthy” he is to be a hero not just for his lackluster power, but because, in the past, he’s avoided conflict in situations where, if he were a true hero, he would have stepped in and offered support without thinking about it! Sound familiar? Instead, his childhood friend that he secretly admires very much stepped in to be heroic while he stood around and gaped uselessly! Sound familiar?! In high school, he puts on an outgoing persona (complete with a new hairstyle) inspired by his childhood hero to cover for his insecurities! SOUND FAMILIAR?!

It’s also telling that, based on Kirishima’s observation of chapter 1’s sludge villain incident, it is Deku as Bakugo’s rescuer that Kirishima admires rather than Bakugo for holding out and remaining standing against the sludge villain – especially since Hero society media portrayed Bakugo’s dogged survival as the laudable accomplishment. That’s interesting considering that Bakugo (who loathes the fact that he needed help against the sludge villain and sees the whole thing as a point of shame) expressed admiration for Kirishima (and All Might’s) ability to remain standing in a fight even if that’s all they can do, no?

Anyway, Kirishima knows what it is to want to improve oneself. This sets up a great starting point for a mutual understanding between himself and Bakugo, who also wants to improve himself. It’s also why he goes out of his way to help rescue Bakugo when he’s kidnapped by the villains at the training camp – not just because he cares about his classmate (he does!) but because it’s an opportunity for Kirishima to prove his worthiness of heroism to himself. This rescue was a tit-for-tat situation – which is very important for shielding Bakugo’s pride throughout the entire rescue kerfuffle. That’s also why Bakugo goes out of his way to pay Kirishima back in cash for the amount the night binoculars he used in the rescue cost him. Bakugo wouldn’t be comfortable “owing” Kirishima anything, and while he can’t pay Kirishima back in “effort” or “heroic conviction”, he can give him money.

In short: Kirishima’s hand, outstretched in equal partnership, is the first Bakugo has ever been able to accept. It’s a big deal. The moment Bakugo accepts Kirishima’s help is representative of Bakugo accepting that sometimes he needs, can accept, and even wants help. Which is great!

And then after that, Bakugo and Kirishima also hang around each other in the Provisional Licensing exam, wherein Kirishima realizes even more of Bakugo’s rude competence in action (and arguably passes because of Bakugo while Bakugo himself fails, but this is a whole bigger discussion.) They don’t really interact a whole lot after that besides the odd panel of Kirishima essentially telling Bakugo to tone it down, but they’re, like, friends, or whatever obfuscating term Bakugo would rather use. Hooray mutual respect!

Canon KiriBaku

Kirishima is Bakugo’s first friend and equal – and the first to accept Bakugo outside the context of his “small pond” middle school and give him the chance to interact with someone in a way not defined by his middle school reputation. In fact, it’s more profound considering that Kirishima explicitly knows about Bakugo and Deku’s involvement in the sludge villain incident, but doesn’t let that tint his opinion of Bakugo negatively. In fact, he very considerately doesn’t bring it up to Bakugo even though it’s something he’s curious about.

But excluding the events I’ve already mentioned, many of Kirishima’s appearances in the manga and anime have him more or less interpreting for or pseudo-handling Bakugo. Denki Kaminari, Hanta Sero, Sato Rikido, and Todoroki Shouto share duties in this role most often, too. In fact, this is a pattern that happens a lot: a character teases Bakugo, he gets embarrassed about it, he yells back in retaliation but does curb his behavior as requested. Lather, rinse, repeat. Do you remember what I said in the other presentation about bullying being a sort of social tool in Japan? Well, most of class 1-A is doing it to Bakugo. (Deku even has a big freak out over it because it seems so unreal to him.) It comes off more like banter and teasing, but that is what’s happening: the class is cajoling Bakugo into fitting in. Kirishima is notable because, after initially trying this wholly teasing approach, he realizes that maybe something less condescending would work.

Well, okay, being a little less condescending will work sometimes. Negging and shaming Bakugo is pretty much standard procedure for everyone. In return, Bakugo offers Kirishima sincere encouragement (even if it’s in Baku-ese) and also helps him with practical things like studying – after Kirishima insults him into it.

In Kirishima’s defense, such an approach is the best way to ask Bakugo for anything at this stage of the story. If the request is framed as a put-down or a challenge, it doesn’t trap Bakugo in a position where the other person could be perceived as “lesser” for “begging”; doesn’t once again put Bakugo in a position where he is the “bully” or “party owed” because he’s the one who “has'' something Kirishima “needs” or doesn’t have; and also doesn’t put Bakugo in a space of vulnerability for offering to help and risking Kirishima’s denial. Instead, it’s a stupid jibe and implied challenge, which is something Bakugo can handle. Challenges, confrontations, and insults are just about the only straightforward forms of communication that Bakugo can consistently handle in the early to middle stages of the manga. That, and this approach also gives Kirishima the great fun of giving Bakugo crap and watching him grump about it.

In conclusion: Bakugo’s canon relationship with Kirishima teaches Bakugo how to rely on other people, how to give back to other people, how to navigate his sense of self without alienating himself from a larger social dynamic, how to accept and appreciate the accomplishments of his past even if he thinks he “should have” done better, and how to have a friend he can trust. Theirs is a supportive relationship, though at times I feel like it borders on being the dynamic of an exasperated older brother scolding a younger child.

But that’s the text. I’ve not even explored the angle of their shared subculture signaling and mutual breakdown and exploration of masculinity!

Fragile Ego and Fragile Masculinity

One of the most obvious (and probably most important) similarities between Kirishima and Bakugo is the fragility and “falseness” of their initial social presentation (read: tatemae). In Bakugo’s case, it’s his overblown ego. In Kirishima’s case, it is his highly performative masculinity. While Bakugo is sincerely confident in his abilities and self-absorbed while Kirishima is authentically good-hearted and determined, both of them are putting on airs to support these images and inspire themselves to meet a certain personal standard.

Horikoshi even illustrates these characters’ initial narrow-minded philosophies falling away by “cracking” key panels when they reach a meaningful conclusion or experience something that shatters their worldview. Bakugo’s ego “shatters” (because let’s be real - it’s been cracked and fragile since before he fell off that log) when he loses to Deku near the start of the series. Meanwhile, Kirishima’s fragile and closed-minded masculinity shatters after he internalizes that he’s not inherently “manly” or truly Heroic just because he’s a cis dude.

The negative and egotistical connotations of Bakugo’s break are obvious, but Kirishima’s are less so. This moment happens after he sees Mina, a girl, proving to be extremely “manly” by being a true Hero to some of their classmates. While Kirishima doesn’t espouse how “girls suck!” or go out of his way to badmouth women and girls in his backstory, it is by comparing himself to Mina and revisiting the true meaning behind Crimson Riot’s “manly” philosophy (read: that “manliness” as a positive isn’t limited by gender) that he begins to unpack and then eschew his unexplored assumptions that his gender, quirk, or any surface-level quality has any bearing on one’s “Heroism”. It’s subtle. It’s really nicely executed, actually, because it portrays a character grappling with an inherent bias that I doubt even Kirishima realized he had.

I’ll discuss Mina and the gender power dynamic in more detail later in this presentation, but keep it in your mind for now.

I’d also like to mention that this “cracking” visual suggesting “destruction before the choice for progress” is key to Shigaraki Tomura’s theme in the BNHA story as well, but this post isn’t about him. The purpose of me pointing out its use in Bakugo and Kirishima’s narratives is that, in both cases, the characters made choices to learn from the experience and grow in a more positive direction. I could also compare their old selves’ shattering to the cracking of an eggshell and the significance of the story’s multiple comparisons of the Hero students to hatching eggs, but alas. That is also not today’s topic.

Kirishima’s Progressive Manliness, Delinquents, Yakuza, Bushido, and Bakugo

One of Kirishima’s most notable qualities is his tendency to describe anything positive - the ability to show emotional strength as well as physical, the ability to shed tears and show sensitivity, the ability to do something competently, the ability to show consideration for others, the ability to act heroically in a general sense - as manly no matter what gender of person is performing it. It’s another philosophy inspired in-story by Crimson Riot.

As discussed previously, Crimson Riot’s “manly” credo is rooted in subcultures from the real world. His philosophy is inspired by the most noble interpretation possible of the general Japanese delinquent/furyou shonen/Yankee/Yanki subculture. However, even the delinquent culture has a bigger context, so Crimson Riot is ostensibly drawing from other codes of Japanese masculinity and morals, too. I don’t exclusively mean bushido, though I want to make it clear that I am including it since it is intrinsically connected to the discussion of Japanese masculinity in basically every possible subculture in this post. However, right now, I’m referring to the Yakuza jingi (delinquents often enter the Yakuza after they age out of school) and their generalized form of the underlying Japanese concept of chivalry. The Yakuza framing of chivalry is not exactly the same as bushido, but rather the idea of “acting chivalrously” through what they refer to as ninkyodo, or the “way of humanity.” There’s still influence and elements of bushido in this, however.

For all you weebs who watched or read Way of the Househusband/Goshufukudo: the series’ tagline of, “housework without honor or humanity!” is a play on the main character’s status as an ex-Yakuza because he left the Yakuza (aka “strayed from his ninkyodo/strayed from the path of humanity”) to be a househusband. It’s also a play on the Battles Without Honor or Humanity movies revolving around the same sentiment – except without the house-husbandry part, of course.

Bakugo’s outlook and personal presentation leans more towards a fictionalized version of the delinquent or Yakuza ninkyodo presentation of personal code than Kirishima's “manly” credo, but the connection between the two masculine personal conducts – or the fact that an underlying code of conduct is central to both identities – is still there. If you read the article on delinquents I linked, you’ll also notice that it makes an emphasis on a sense of community and closeness being a probable reason for the delinquent subculture’s enduring existence simultaneous to its rebellious and individualistic slant. Kirishima and Bakugo are good representations of those two seemingly opposite poles, no? Kirishima focuses on creating a sense of community with himself as the unifying factor while Bakugo seeks to separate himself through his individuality.

(Also, I learned while writing this that the Yakuza created a recruitment website called ninkyodo. Considering the bigger discussion of social unrest and subdued envelope-pushing inherent in BNHA, the wacky little blog post is worth a look since it pivots around the Japanese mob being upset with the government’s social programs. Reading the Yakuza’s purported gripes and then comparing/contrasting them with Bakugo’s values and friction with the BNHA Hero world is a fun mental exercise.)

That said, there is one VERY big difference in Kirishima’s presentation and aesthetic versus Bakugo’s, and it should not be overlooked in this discussion. I warn you now: for the sake of speed and word count I am simplifying the associations I’m about to make, but you can read this entire Wikipedia article if you want a better picture of what I mean or need a starting point for your own research. Or if you don’t believe me.

Bushido, Kouha, Japanese Nationalism, and Kirishima

Kirishima’s Crimson Riot-inspired philosophy and aesthetic is drawn from delinquent culture, which is a subculture that takes its cues from bushido – literally “warrior way” but or sometimes likened to “chivalry” or even “samurai code” in English – which is in turn associated with Japanese nationalism. This association is very clear in Kirishima’s aesthetic. Look at his room. The Mount Fuji and ocean wave iconography, his hachimaki (admittedly this is relatively common among modern students but it still carries a history), the tacky flames in representation of a “burning soul”…

More to the point, Horikoshi lists one of Kirishima’s favorite things as kouha (called “manly men” in the English version), which basically comes out in English to mean “hard school”. It’s a pun on Kirishima’s hardening quirk. However, it also refers to Kirishima’s penchant for historically manly things and hyper-masculine presentation.

Kouha are, as Kirishima’s middle school classmates say, “old school”. They’re even more old school than delinquents (or Crimson Riot), and they are also deeply nationalist. Kouha were a cultural phenomenon born from the student populations of Japanese military schools (the establishment of the Japanese Imperial Army is considered the first formal step of Japan’s Westernization, by the way!) during the Meiji era. They held specific beliefs about male supremacy, masculinity, and national pride. To kouha, these concepts were inseparable from one another. They, and their resulting legacy as soldiers and Navy members in subsequent wars, are the main reason that quasi-nationalist or outright nationalist symbolism is so thoroughly entrenched in the Japanese presentation of hyper-masculinity even in the modern day.

HOWEVER! Kirishima and Crimson Riot’s manliness philosophy departs from Japanese nationalism (and neo-nationalism) in a very clear and obvious way: it is inclusive. The aesthetic preserves Kirishima’s personal pride as a Japanese guy - specifically as a masculine man - while his take on “manliness” is modern and geared towards celebrating the intrinsic goodness of humanity that isn’t defined by gender, sex, skin color, or nationality. Also, his imagery does not use the Rising Sun flag (which, from the perspective of non-Japanese, is specifically associated internationally with war crimes and, for related reasons, the Japanese Navy. Consider it a Japanese swastika—not to be confused with the Japanese manji, which is actually a totally different thing) or red sunbeam motif. This could be because BNHA is set 200 years in the future and the rising sun imagery has fallen out of public memory, or, more likely, Horikoshi (and therefore Kirishima) wants to signal that Kirishima doesn’t hold those beliefs. Even so, Kirishima’s “look” is still emblematic of kouha and still associates masculinity with his national identity.

This isn’t a perfect one-to-one localization, but, for us in the West, we can sort of think of it like this: the difference between Kirishima and a neo-nationalist is not unlike the difference between guys who just authentically really like Viking iconography and neo-Nazis who appropriate Nordic iconography for their beliefs. It’s just that Kirishima seems to be reclaiming these symbols in reverse. (It’s probably a really good thing Mina knows Kirishima from his time before UA or else she might be giving him a way more intense and judgemental side-eye over what’s in his room.)

Bakugo’s Aesthetic Versus Kirishima’s Aesthetic

To be clear: the specific flavor of “tackiness” and “kouha look” Kirishima enjoys is definitely indicative of outright nationalism, but it is also associated with other hyper-masculine subcultures. These include the Japanese delinquents and bosozoku. Delinquent subcultures often use lots of prideful Japanese iconography (though usually not so much with the sunbeam-laden rising sun flag. Modern delinquents usually stick to the modern Japanese flag) as part of their uniforms or flags.

Interestingly, Bakugo lacks these visual markers of the “classic” delinquent look while Kirishima embraces them. Instead, it seems Bakugo’s chosen delinquent visual identity markers are taken exclusively from the filter of shonen anime delinquents rather than the real world subculture! Their differing attempts to separate the things they like from its historic baggage is really interesting!

Eijiro Kirishima: Sharp Newborn Son of the Jagged Island

Now that I’ve unpacked the association between Kirishima’s masculinity, presentation, and national history, I can talk about the easiest detail: his name. Like Bakugo, Kirishima’s name is extremely straightforward.

Ei: sharp or keen

Ji: kid or newborn

Ro: son

Kiri: jagged or to cut

Shima: island

Eijiro means, as this kind person on the internet puts it, “sharp boy”. They also point out that the “Ei” is written in a way not ordinarily associated with names (which is usually “sharp” like “keen” or “intelligent”), so his name subtly “blunts” his intelligence while still pointing (ha) out that he’s a guy made of sharp rocks. And while that’s cute, it’s his last name that gives us more mileage for interpretation. Kirishima. “Cut island”. Japan is a nation made up of multiple islands.

Kirishima is meant to be, very literally, a fresh-eyed child of his nation. He is emblematic of masculine heritage and identity. That’s a little more nuanced than saying Kirishima is Japan, but he definitely represents a significant pre-World War II slice of it.

“Gay Coded” Kirishima and Modern Japanese Masculinity

There is one last association that Kirishima’s chosen “nationalist-not-nationalist” kouha aesthetic conjures that I need to unpack. As I’ve said, modern Japanese sociopolitical (and masculine) identity is strongly associated with bushido. Bushido, particularly during the Meiji era and Russo-Japanese war (y’all ever read or watched Golden Kamuy?), is consequently associated with the Navy and nanshoku (THIS WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE IS MILDLY NSFW), or the practice of male-male relationships ranging from ritual pederasty to what one could interpret as just plain gay by modern Western standards. Whenever the Eastern or Western fandom discusses the possibility of Kirishima being gay-coded, this association between his kouha aesthetic and nanshoku is almost always at the heart of it. Well, that, and his dogged telegraphing of how much he’s into the kouha aesthetic and other “manly” things. To the modern Japanese, a high degree of overblown hyper-masculine presentation and speech can come across as performative overcompensating.

However, there’s one big detail that’s usually missing from these discussions in fandom: generally, the display of hyper-masculinity that is associated with performative overcompensating from closeted gay men includes constantly talking about how much heterosexual intercourse they have (which, according to them, is a whole lot) and how much they love women. Carnally. Sometimes they may even hit on women to an absurd and almost cartoonish degree – but usually only performatively in front of others or to try and fool (or repulse) the woman on the receiving end! The goal of a closeted gay person telegraphing heterosexual stereotypes to such an extreme degree is to either:

1. fool other people into thinking that they are not gay (which is often not very successful)

2. keep themselves in denial by playing the part of an ultra-straight dude.

So, if I am using hyper-sexualized hetero behavior as the main parameter for how gay-coded a character is, I could argue that Mineta is more gay-coded than Kirishima is. He’s not, but I could make the argument.

But why would a gay person feel the need to do either of these things? Oh, honey. Masculine fragility has different nuances between cultures, but it isn’t exclusive to English-speaking countries. Modern Japan (read: Meiji era to post-World War II Japan that did its damndest to Westernize as rapidly as possible) is relatively homophobic and views homosexuality as, well, “unmanly”. (You can read more about that in the kouha and nanshoku Wikipedia articles I’ve linked.) That’s the power of comphet, baby!

That said, I don’t think Kirishima is gay-coded based on his affinity for manly stuff. He’s not using it to compensate for his sexuality. If anything, he’s using his kouha-manly presentation to compensate for his perceived lack of Heroic and manly spirit. True heroism is what defines Kirishima and Crimson Riot’s perception of “manliness”, not sexuality. In fact, that’s the core of why their ideology is so progressive and why it flies in the face of its kouha-presentation packaging.

“If Kirishima is Straight, Why Doesn’t He Draw Obvious Attention to His Attraction to Girls?”

Heck, maybe he isn’t straight. I don’t know and frankly I don’t care. But there’s multiple reasons this could be the case even if he’s straight:

1. Kirishima is not a “carnivorous man” like Kaminari nor is he a fucking creep like Mineta.

2. This is a little bit outdated and old-fashioned, but in Japan, it’s generally seen as a faux-pas to openly make a big deal of special affection towards a specific person in front of others. This is out of consideration for said object of affection, particularly if the pair in question isn’t already dating and there’s the possibility that the interest isn’t mutual between the two parties. It would be very embarrassing for someone to have to turn down a love confession in front of an audience of peers. If the pair in question is dating, this is usually more relaxed, particularly in the modern day.

3. A well-rounded character (and a person) is more than their potential sexuality. Also, this isn’t a romance manga. Thank god. I can barely deal with reading about Ochako’s stupid crush – and even Ochako the character hates having a crush!

Anyway.

Modern Japanese Masculine Fragility and Anxiety About the Future

Since this is a shonen manga, the focus on men/growing mens’ identity (and the Japanese-specific flavor of masculinity) in a modern and changing world comes up a lot. While not directly related to Kirishima and Bakugo’s chosen countercultures, here’s a link to download an observational piece describing three notable cishet male Japanese subgroups struggling to define (or redefine) their own masculinity and identity: herbivorous men (kind of like western hipster metrosexuals), otaku (you know what these are), and Japanese petit-nationalists (basically neo-nationalists. And yes, they share elements from Kirishima’s aesthetic. If this were about Spinner and any heteromorph characters, this particular group would be much more relevant to this discussion.) Here’s another piece focused on “genderless” danshi and masculinity. Both of these pieces discuss the precarious correlation between male identity, community, presentation, and values. That, and I think they’re neat topics – though I do suggest you think critically about what you read in them.

However, I feel I should mention that Japan’s current crisis regarding declining birth rates is often associated with the lack of “properly masculine” men and the growing ability of modern Japanese women to put off or refuse marriage.The first observational piece about male subgroups discusses how masculine identity and neo-nationalism seem to be closely associated or even conflated for one another by the individuals in the neo-nationalist subgroup, but also alludes to the fact that a lack of clearly defined masculinity is being treated as a national crisis since it is seen as a prohibitive factor for Japan’s current generation to start families. To that end, Prime Minister Shinso Abe pushed for a variety of measures to encourage people to have kids.

In fact, Shinso Abe has achieved meme status in international otaku circles because whenever an anime or manga encourages or portrays sex for the purpose of procreation and raising a family as expected and singularly correct, the community wonders if it’s anime propaganda aimed at encouraging Japanese viewers to go have kids. This, combined with the fact that Shueisha/Shonen Jump upholds certain beliefs and gender/sexuality power dynamics in their company policy that is reflected in their published titles, will be important later in this series of presentations. For now, it’s just something to think about.

I know this is Tumblr where cishet men are the minority and most discussion about masculine fragility and stereotypes is unappealing because most of us are over it in our real lives, but this kind of stuff is important to at least know about when looking at media so closely involved with these concepts. It’s fandom’s great freedom to interpret these characters however we like, but understanding them as they were intended to be understood in context first - or at least trying to do so - is helpful. If you’re sick of shonen-centered discussion and want to pivot to the intersection of Japanese subcultures and shojo manga, this is a good place to start.

Bakugo’s Masculinity Journey and Kirishima’s Perspective

These issues surrounding masculinity and the nation’s future snowball together in part because of a generalized anxiety over change from modern (post-World War II) Japan’s assumed “norm” – including changing “norms” of prior generations’ assumptions about masculinity and gender roles. I’ve already posited in my earlier presentation that Bakugo is the manga’s best representation for change both regarding him as an individual character and as a representation of change impacting the (modern-Japan-analogous) reality in which he was brought up. To that end, I think it is important to consider how his character changes from a masculinity-focused angle. And I don’t just refer to what factors are impacting his masculinity in the written text. I am also referring to the subtext and implied culture (read: modern Japanese culture) of the world in which he’s drawn.

Basically, this is what the masculinity “tradition” is to Bakugo: another legacy and expectation. He may have chosen the flavor and presentation of it with his delinquent schtick, but he never asked to unflinchingly uphold it every moment of his life nor did he ask to inherit the negativity associated with it. Masculinity as a construct is just another damn thing with generations of sociopolitical baggage that he (and every other kid in his class) has to reconcile and then go beyond. In this context, masculinity is All Might – it’s another impossible and unsustainable symbol he looked up to in his childhood that he now has to face for what it really is, make peace with, and then surpass.

To be clear: all the students are grappling with similar pressures, but Bakugo is the one most driven – and with the greatest understanding of what this means in context – to surpass and change.

Kirishima’s masculinity-focused solution to the struggle between his past identity (his high school debut is concerned with leaving his old self behind) and what he wants to be is an overtly positive, unifying, and forward-thinking one. (Kirishima’s example is also a little naive considering he doesn’t seem to grasp the militaristic history of his aesthetic and symbols, but I don’t think there’s such a thing as an unproblematic approach to anything in this world. My privileged Western ass is going to overlook this in favor of his effort and heart. Others may not.) Meanwhile, Bakugo is also grappling with the loaded history of what he’d like to be and the outdated expectations of its masculinity thrust upon him – through the lenses of his academic and career paths, his success, his social standing, his self-isolation, his dominance, his relationship with Deku specifically, and his self-presentation as a delinquent as well as shonen protagonist Hero.

Kirishima’s example offers Bakugo a glimpse at maintaining his self-expression without being shackled to the past it carries. Basically, Kirishima’s underlying message is, “Your identity can change as you grow, bro. Your identity is mutable, but it isn’t fragile like classic masculinity is.” Or, to quote Hogarth in The Iron Giant, “You are what you choose to be.”

Emasculated Japan and the Message of Kirishima’s Masculinity Taken One Step Farther

This is mostly conjecture, but I want to point it out anyway.

I have already talked about the baggage and expectations associated with present day real-world Japanese masculinity and the changing gender-based power balance. However, I haven’t talked specifically about how that carries echoes from masculinity from post-World War II Japan.

In the Bakugo presentation, I mentioned that the shonen genre was “born” after World War II and the art form still incorporates postwar baggage. This includes the aftermath of the nation reeling from its lack of military power after the war. I’ve already drawn a clear line between Japanese military might and its masculinity, so I don’t feel I need to elaborate much about why I make this next statement: a significant swath of the Japanese felt the loss of military power emasculated the country (which, as discussed through Mina, made it “effeminate”. Or, depending on the perspective, it “infantilized” the country. Elsewhere in this writeup, I reference an introductory course examining shojo manga and identity that touches on the infantilization of Japan through media exports and branding if you’d like to read another perspective using this terminology.)

There exists a complicated relationship between national shame over losing the war, shame from Japan’s own war crimes, shame in Japan’s continued political ineffectiveness without a strong established military, and outright Japanese envy of the West for not only winning the war but epitomizing prosperity and modernity. I really don’t have the background to talk about this in-depth or respectfully. The point is that overt pride in the Japanese identity is a complicated issue in general, but particularly as it reflects in expressed Japanese masculinity.

As I have established, the archetype Bakugo chose for his Hero persona is distinctly Eastern and distinctly masculine: the shonen protagonist. While Bakugo and his costume blatantly involves war imagery through the grenades and explosives, he does not use imagery indicative of Japan or the Japanese military.

I don’t want to put words in Horikoshi’s mouth, but Kirishima’s example of portraying positive masculinity alongside neutral or positive portrayals of strikingly Japan-centered imagery leaves me with this impression: Kirishima’s existence is almost saying to Bakugo, “It’s okay. It’s okay to be masculine and it’s okay to be proud of your place of origin. You don’t have to shy away from its darker history. You can embrace it all.”

Considering BNHA’s emphasis on remembering one’s origins as motivation and likewise labeling significant chapters with the word “Origin” in the title, I feel this observation is significant even if only as food for thought.

I suppose if one really wanted to, one could use everything I’ve written as an argument to say, “If you like Kirishima, you fell for the Japanese militarism apologist ploy”, but I don’t think portraying him as an apologist was the intent. I choose to see this as a shonen comic about superheroes and connecting the past with the present because that’s all I think it is trying to be.

The Future is Female: Mina Ashido and Eijiro Kirishima

Mina and Kirishima are introduced to us as a pair of foils, so this writeup would be incomplete if I didn’t mention her. If Kirishima is the “manly” Japan of a bygone era questioning how he can be relevant, Mina is “effeminate” modern-day Japan. Simplifying the terms into gender categories like that is a little more charged than I would prefer, but let me explain my logic.

During Japan’s occupation by the Allies after World War II, women gained, among other things, the right to vote. To quote Wikipedia directly: “It has been argued that the granting of rights to women played an important role in the radical shift Japan underwent from a war nation to a democratized and demilitarized country.” They also were no longer bound exclusively to the home as wives and mothers, but could also take employment. Got it? Good. While I needed to explain this to set the stage for the stark difference in gender politics between the kouha’s heyday and women’s standing after World War II, this is only loosely related to Mina and her portrayal.

Again: it’s about the look. In simple terms, traditional Japanese femininity isn’t flashy and women don’t take the lead. Mina is flashy and she does lead. And in BNHA, this is framed as a positive by her peers. (I have no idea how the older generation feels about it. We don’t know much about Mina’s personal life, unfortunately.)

Mina is a modern girl. She stands out because of her natural appearance, but she also dresses ostentatiously whenever she isn’t wearing her high school uniform. Her look favors an updated spin on the gyaru subculture. In fact, while part of her natural appearance rather than intentional choice, I could argue that Mina’s startlingly black eyes and “unnaturally”-colored skin is meant to indicate the yamanba (spinoff from ganguro) fashion subculture, but I’m not sure I am meant to go that far. Regardless of the specifics, everything about her appearance implies the largest commonality between most modern young Japanese women and every female-specific fashion subcultures (including lolita or kogal – Toga is a kogal): rejection of traditional gender roles and presentation.

Now, allow me to throw the parallel between these characters and Japan’s policy changes in your face. Mina was first to act when “foreign power with old loyalty” Gigantomachia threatened their classmates. She solved the confrontation – and solved other confrontations with her peers – nonviolently. Meanwhile, kouha-aligned (militaristic and masculine Japan) Kirishima was not only unable to act (aka did not have any military influence), but felt completely useless and superfluous in both of these instances. But later, when Gigantomachia re-emerges in a context that Mina cannot possibly solve on civil terms or with misdirection, he is able to defend her and do what she can’t.

Also, Kirishima’s key color is red. Hot damn, that’s flashy! It’s also the color of the sun on the Japanese flag! How fitting that Mina is represented by pink, or “light red”.

I need to confess that I’ve misled you readers somewhat, but I did it for a reason.

Kirishima-Deku Parallels; Mina-Bakugo Parallels

While I initially compared Kirishima to Bakugo, the truth is that he shares more similarities to Deku. Kirishima is not confident in himself, emulates his idol very closely, is very concerned with upholding the status quo (through interpersonal harmony), got into UA through his effort (let’s be real: even the richest and most well-poised in UA worked their asses off and the story takes the time to tell us so. While I admire Kirishima greatly for his accomplishments, the “hard work” angle bores the shit out of me because every character works hard) rather than because he has a well-suited quirk, is quick to act “heroically” and put others before himself, is quick to throw himself into danger on others’ behalf (he’s got a hardening quirk, so unlike Deku he doesn’t mangle himself repeatedly with these stunts), and has an I-won’t-admit-it-but-I-will-broadcast-it object of admiration in his childhood friend Ashido Mina. Also, Kirishima feels woefully inadequate when compared to Mina because she already has the appearance of a hero. It’s about the look.

When Mina uncovers Kirishima’s “secret” (he dyed his hair and changed his outward persona to make a good impression as a friendly and outgoing guy with his “high school debut” rather than come off as a shy fanboy), it’s analogous to Deku telling (albeit vaguely) Bakugo about One for All at the beginning of the manga. Both scenes even take place at the start of the school year with cherry blossoms in the background and stuff. Later in the series, after Bakugo figures out the full secret of OfA (much like Mina figures out that Kirishima wants to be popular), he even explicitly says he’ll keep Deku’s secret.

Also, both Mina and Bakugo are described as “amazing” and both imply significant discomfort over the generalized compliment. It’s a huge expectation to carry.

Kirishima’s outgoing attitude is a product of him pushing himself to be more like Mina in charisma and approachability. The horns of his hair are also inspired by her, too. While both of these things can be framed as parallels to Bakugo’s admiration of Deku as I did earlier, they are more on-the-nose for Deku’s penchant for intentionally talking like Bakugo when he wants to psyche himself out and copying all of Bakugo’s moves in order to best harness his quirk. And, of course, when Kirishima and Deku don disguises to go save Bakugo, they choose outfits with exaggerated horns and a Yakuza/delinquent persona respectively.

And a final parallel for your consideration: when Kirishima saves Mina in their confrontation with Gigantomachia, he does it without regard for his own safety (after initially hesitating and panicking like Deku did for the first part of the sludge villain incident). Gigantomachia is also, interestingly, a shared past foe of Kirishima and Mina much like the sludge villain is for Bakugo and Deku.

Bakugo’s relationship with Kirishima is an introductory course in how to have a positive relationship with Deku. For Kirishima, Bakugo is a proxy for relating to and helping the person in his life that he admires most: Mina.

The Bakusquad Isn’t a Thing

I’m going to step in real quick to address the phenomenon of the “Bakusquad” - a tight-knit clique composed of Bakugo, Kirishima, Denki Kaminari, Mina Ashido, Hanta Sero, and sometimes Kyoka Jiro. It doesn’t exist in the BNHA story.

Outside of anime marketing materials’ penchants to show certain characters together, this isn’t actually a thing. Like, at all. Neither is the “Dekusquad.” It’s true that Bakugo, like Deku, is closer friends with certain members of his class than others and Kirishima is a great example of that, but they don’t hang out like a “squad”. They’re not that close. Not like THAT. This is a western perception that is deeply rooted in how social groups in North American high schools function. In East Asian schools, the entire class is seen as a sort of collective. I know that most Japanese schools don’t usually take individual photos, but they write essays (another manga example of this is in MP100 when Reigen is exposed as a fraud. The media unearths his student essay and throws it into the public eye as a way to sensationalize his character) and have class photos. This page doesn’t exactly mention the class photos versus individual photos, but it’s relevant.

There are tighter groups within that generalized class boundary, but the kind of clique the western fandom portrayal of the “Bakusquad” implies isn’t really comparable. (Anecdotally, I have been told that students tend to socially self-segregate by gender.)

If the “Bakusquad” members were ones who spent the most time with Bakugo in the story, then the group would include Fumikage Tokoyami and Momo Yaoyorozu from the A Band as well as Shouto Todoroki because of their time spent at the remedial classes together. It doesn’t.

KiriBaku as a Ship

Kiribaku’s portrayal as a ship is, much like the concept of the Bakusquad, primarily fueled by supplementary content for the anime and its marketing materials. Which is great! Kirishima is supportive and thoughtful and he cues Bakugo into ways to be the same. Fanon just tends to take it up a couple notches.

Western fans also have a tendency to make Kirishima significantly stupider than he is in the manga or anime, and not just for a handful of gags (which usually revolve around Kirishima doing regular teen boy stuff because he is a regular teen boy) like the manga does. While it’s true that Kirishima is not the most academically gifted and occasionally has thickheaded moments, he’s not actually stupid. In fact, he is likely one of the most emotionally intelligent characters in his high school class.

I don’t know how many of you watched the rebooted She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, but Scorpia is western fanon Kirishima. Catra is her Bakugo. With complete and authentic respect to Noelle Stevenson, I know what she did the moment I saw it and I didn’t even have to go online to see the thinkpieces and interviews, though I did snicker when I read them later and saw her make mention of BNHA and shonen series like it. For the record, I strongly agree with what she had to say about them in the context of the interview.

Kiribaku as a ship is Bakudeku without the stigma, emotional conflict, or All Might meddling involved. It’s about Bakugo growing past all the emotional baggage involved with his past and leaving it behind for someone who is very similar to Deku, but isn’t Deku and who lacks all the Bakugo-inflicted baggage Deku has. There. I said it. That’s it. It’s fluffy and sweet and just a little bit uneven. It’s also steeped in, like, fifteen levels of gym bro talk and masculinity discussions.

Thanks, everybody!

#kirishima eijiro #red riot #bakugo katsuki #mina ashido #kiribaku #kirimina #kirishima presentation #bnha meta #BNHA #japanese history #my hero academia #heroaca

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